Dances – including the tango, salsa, waltz, rumba, hustle, swing, meringue – will be taught throughout the event.

The cost is $10 a class; $50 for the evening. Complimentary wine and snacks will be available.

180 Turning Lives Around is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to ending domestic and sexual violence in the community.

For more information, visit www.180nj.org.

FREEHOLD

County residents are encouraged to clear medicine cabinets of unwanted or expired drugs and can dispose of them properly between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, when most Monmouth County law enforcement agencies will accept them as part of the National Take Back Initiative.

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said the program is anonymous and no questions will be asked of participants. The sheriff’s office and more than 20 local police departments will be accepting the medications during this event.

The county drop-off location is the sheriff’s office at 50 E. Main St. in Freehold.

The goal of the program is to encourage people to deliver these medications to law enforcement officials who can then dispose of these pills in a safe and nonhazardous manner, preventing them from falling into the hands of juveniles or into the illicit market in our communities.

“Removing unused and unwanted medications from your medicine cabinet and destroying them appropriately is one way we can protect lives and the environment,” said Freeholder John P. Curley, liaison to the county’s mental health and addiction services division. “Studies have shown that the majority of people abusing prescription medication have obtained them through raiding the medicine cabinets of family and friends. We need to get these unused medicines out of our homes.”

Curley advises county residents to contact their local police department or visit the federal Drug Enforcement Administration website to find the closest collection site to dispose of their unused, unwanted or expired medicines.

Those who miss the Oct. 26 event, can always drop off unwanted or expired medications at the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office.

For more information on the abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs and local collection information, visit www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov.

LINCROFT

Middletown residents will get the opportunity to listen to and ask questions of the candidates for the township committee and Monmouth County freeholders from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, during the Lincroft Village Green Association Candidates’ Night.

The forum will be held at Lincroft School, 729 Newman Springs Road.

The candidates for Middletown Township Committee and the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders will answer questions submitted by members of the community.

Questions can be submitted by Sunday, Oct. 20, at the organization’s website at www.lincroft.org. Additional written questions from the public can be submitted at the door and will be answered by the candidates if time permits.

The event will be moderated by The League of Women Voters.

Those expected to attend the session are Middletown Township Council candidates: Democrats Linda Baum and Patricia Olsen and Republicans Gerard Scharfenberger and Kevin Settembrino. The candidates for Monmouth County Board of Chosen Free­holder candidates expected at the forum are: Democrats Brian Froelich and Larry Luttrell and Republican Thomas A. Arnone.

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The Brookdale Community College Respiratory Care Association is partnering with Great Strides to host a 5K race to raise money for cystic fibrosis research and education.

The race will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at Thompson Park. Registration will be at the Student Life and Activities ticket window on the lower floor of the college’s Warner Student Life Center, located at 765 Newman Springs Road, or at Thompson Park the day of the event. The fee is $25.

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited, chronic disease affecting the lungs and digestive system of an estimated 30,000 children and adults in the United States. A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections. In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have enabled many with the disease to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond.

For additional information, contact the Student Life and Activities Office at Brookdale Community College at 732-224-2500 or studentlife@brookdalecc.edu.

MIDDLETOWN

The Middletown Health Department will be conducting four free flu clinics for Middletown Township residents at the Croydon Hall Gym, located at 900 Leonardville Road in the Leonardo section.

The dates and times for clinics for those age 6 months and older are:

Friday, Oct. 25, from 10 a.m. to noon

Monday, Oct. 28, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 29 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

A pediatric clinic for youngsters ages 6 months to 18 years will be held Nov. 1 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Pre-registration is required and may be done by calling 732-615-2000, ext. 2164, or by emailing the health department by using the “contact us” form at www.middletownnj.org and provide your name, address, age, phone number and preferred clinic date. Appointments will be scheduled on first-come basis. A confirmation email will be sent.

Clinics are for Middletown residents only. There is no fee for the influenza vaccination.

Residents are welcome on a first-come basis to discuss any concerns or issues they have related to township government.

Residents are invited to contact the mayor’s office any time at 732-605-2024.

TINTON FALLS

Interfaith couples and people wanting to know more about Judaism are invited to take a free 16-week course beginning Thursday, Oct. 17, at Monmouth Reform Temple, 332 Hance Ave.

Introduction to Judaism offers non-Jewish and Jewish people a chance to learn more about the religion. All classes start promptly at 7:30 p.m. Rabbi Robert Ourach, interim rabbi at Monmouth Reform Temple, will teach the course which is designed not only for those who are considering the possibility of conversion to Judaism, but also for anyone who feels that their early childhood exposure to the content and practice aspects of Judaism was lacking.

Introduction to Judaism is also highly recommended for couples who do not come from the same religious background, even if conversion is not a present or future consideration.

Anyone interested in attending this course should contact the Monmouth Reform Temple office at 732-747-9365.

Communiversity Open House at BCC

LINCROFT – The New Jersey Coastal Communiversity will hold its fall open house from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, at the Brookdale Community College Warner Student Life Center, 765 Newman Springs Road.

Prospective students will be able to speak with Communiversity representatives about local access to bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in business, education, public safety, information technology, liberal arts and health sciences.

The N.J. Coastal Communiversity, led by Brookdale, is a six-member alliance of New Jersey higher education colleges and universities offering selected associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees and graduate certificates in Monmouth County.

The partnership allows students to complete an associate degree at Brookdale and transfer seamlessly into a bachelor’s degree program offered at one of the Brookdale campuses. The partner colleges offer the third and fourth year of the bachelor’s degree and the degree is granted by the partner college. Students who already have a bachelor’s degree can enroll in one of the graduate programs offered through the Communiversity.

Programs are located at Brookdale’s Wall campus in Southern Monmouth County, Brookdale’s Freehold’s campus in Western Monmouth County, and Brookdale’s Lincroft campus in Central Monmouth County, as well as through distance education. Partners are Brookdale Community College, Georgian Court University, Montclair State University, New Jersey City University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

To RSVP to the open house or to find out more about the Communiversity, visit brookdalecc.edu/communiversity or call 732-280-7090.

Middletown Arts Center Shopping Expo and Fashion Show

MIDDLETOWN – A wide selection of clothing, jewelry, furniture, couture wedding gowns and trinkets will be available for purchase from more than 10 antique and consignment shops from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, at the Middletown Arts Center’s Vintage Shopping Expo and Fashion Show.

The arts center is located at 36 Church St.

The expo is free to attend but a $10 donation is requested for general admission to the fashion show at 1 p.m. in the MAC theater.

Refreshments will be served and there will be 50/50 and gift basket raffles. Free parking is available in the lots adjacent and across the street from the Middletown Arts Center.

A highlight of the fashion show will be models showcasing couture wedding gowns in various styles and sizes by famous Spanish designers – all available for purchase at deeply discounted prices.

To accommodate fashion show ticket holders, children are welcome to join art instructor Maria Gato for a free Club MAC program in the arts studio. While parents enjoy the shopping and show, children will have fun creating various fall-themed arts and crafts.

“Vintage style arrives to Middletown for this exciting one-day Shopping Expo & Fashion Show,” says Stefania DiBari, event organizer and development associate at the Middletown Arts Center. “The Middletown Arts Center is honored to host this wonderful event in partnership with area businesses. Funds raised from fashion show ticket sales and vendor fees will support arts programming at the MAC. We look forward to having the community join us to support the arts and shop among thousands of unique treasures throughout our 23,000 square-foot facility. The day is guaranteed to be a fun shopping experience for all.”